Highlights:
- US disclosed foreign gifts received by officials during calendar year 2024
- Prime Minister Modi gifted Biden items including a wooden chest, saffron, and a silver train set
- Perishable gifts such as tea and saffron were disposed of under Secret Service rules
- High-value items were transferred to the U.S. National Archives or GSA
- Disclosure is required under U.S. law to avoid diplomatic embarrassment
The US State Department has released an official compilation detailing gifts received by American leaders and senior officials from Indian government representatives, including Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, during calendar year 2024. The disclosure was made by the Office of the Chief of Protocol, as required under US federal law.
The report lists both physical gifts and gifts of travel or travel-related expenses received from foreign governments. Under U.S. regulations, any foreign gift valued above a “minimal value” threshold, set at $480 for 2024, must be formally reported and either surrendered to the government or disposed of according to strict rules.
Gifts presented by Indian prime minister Modi
One of the most notable entries involves a collection of items gifted by Indian prime minister Modi to then president Joe Biden on September 10, 2023, during Biden’s visit to New Delhi for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The gift set included a wooden chest, a scarf, saffron in a jar, and a wooden tea box, with a combined estimated value of $562.
According to the report, the non-perishable items, the chest, scarf, jar, and box, were transferred to the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The saffron and tea, considered perishable, were disposed of in accordance with US Secret Service policies.
Another high-value gift from Modi to Biden was a sterling silver metal train set presented on July 16, 2024. Valued at USD 7,750, the train set was also transferred to the National Archives.
Gifts to the first lady and other US leaders
The disclosure also notes that former First Lady Jill Biden received a pashmina shawl from Modi on October 21, 2024. The shawl, valued at $2,969, was transferred to the National Archives.
Former vice president Kamala Harris received a “Lord Krishna Raas Leela” silver box from Modi on October 18, 2024. The gift, estimated at $1,330, was likewise transferred to NARA. Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, received cufflinks from Modi on the same day, valued at $585.65, which were also archived.
Gifts from other Indian officials
The report includes gifts presented by other senior Indian officials. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval gifted a Kashmir pashmina scarf with a presentation box to then US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on August 23, 2024. The scarf, valued at $599, was transferred to the US General Services Administration (GSA).
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gifted a Shiva Nataraja bronze statue to then US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on November 24, 2022. Valued at $3,700, the statue is listed as pending transfer to the GSA.
Why the gifts are accepted and disclosed
Under a section titled “Circumstances Justifying Acceptance,” the report explains that refusal of such gifts could cause diplomatic embarrassment to both the donor and the United States. As a result, US officials are permitted to accept gifts on behalf of the government, provided they are properly declared and handled according to law.
The disclosure offers a rare public glimpse into the symbolic exchanges that accompany high-level diplomacy, and the meticulous rules governing how those gestures are managed once they reach US hands.
